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Bestlagos.ng has fact-checked a widely shared social media post that wrongly claims the Bondi Beach shooter is David Cohen, a Jewish man from Israel connected to the IDF. Our review shows the post and its image are fake, created with AI to spread false information.
The shooting took place on December 14, 2025, at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Gunmen attacked a crowd during a Hanukkah event, killing 15 people and injuring more than 30. Police called it a terrorist act aimed at the Jewish community.
The hoax post warned people to “keep your ears and eyes open” and said: “Leaked Facebook profile of the Bondi Beach shooter before it got deleted. His real name is David Cohen and he’s Jewish, from Israel!” It included an image claiming to show Cohen’s profile, suggesting he was an IDF soldier.
Bestlagos.ng examined the image and found clear signs it was made by AI. The message icon says “Emsage” instead of “Message.” Ads appear in the profile content, which real Facebook profiles do not have. The friend names look phony and do not link to real accounts.
Australian police named the real suspects as Sajid Akram, 50, who died at the scene in a shootout, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, who is in critical condition.
Security agencies had looked into Naveed for possible ties to ISIL before the attack. Officials believe antisemitism drove the father and son to use licensed guns in the attack.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the act as “clearly motivated by ideology” and plans to talk about gun laws with leaders. A brave bystander helped stop the attack by disarming one gunman.
